obama seemed to be preparing for a fight. >> if senator john mccain and senator graham and others want to go after somebody they should go after me. and i'm happy to have that discussion with them. >> reporter: senator ayotte said she would be willing to put a hold on a rice nomination which, under senate rules, means it would likely never come up for approval and effectively be dead. scott? >> pelley: margaret, thank you. who is susan rice? she held several positions in the collation on the national security council as an expert on african affairs and then as assistant secretary of state. rice was confirmed in the senate in 2009 unanimously for her current job as america's ambassador to the united nations. washington is also splitting tonight over the issue that is going to affect your taxes in just 34 days. that is the so-called fiscal cliff: automatic tax increases and federal budget cuts that will be imposed unless president obama and congress can make a deal on budget reform. not even everyone in the president's own party is with him on this and nancy cordes is on capitol hill for